Clutch.



I. M.. STGKER.

CLUTCH.

APPLIGATION FILED mlm, 191s.

Patented may 26, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

J. M. STOGKER.

CLUTCH.

APPLICATION FILED JANS, 1913. Lg l 8%, Fiamme@ may 26, im.

2. SHEETS-SHEET 2.

l nmw/ 33? /mw v JAMES'M. yS'JOCILEI., OF ATLANTA, vGEORGIA.

CLUTCH.

Specification of Letters Patent. i

Patented May26, v1914..

Application-.filed January-3,1913. Serial No. 740,049.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMES M. Sroonnn, a citizen ofi thevUnited States, residing at Atlanta, in the countyA of' Fulton and Stateof Georgia, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Clutches; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, suchas will enable others skilled in the artvv towhich'it appertains tomake .and use the same.

This invention relates to clutches and while especiallyadapted for use in assoc-iatio'n' with internal combustion engines and starters lis' not confined in its utility to such connection.

An object of the present invention is to provide a clutch which is automatically thrown into engagement by the starter when operated and automatically thrown out of engagement by the internalcombustion engine when it takes up the explosion.

A further objebt of the invention is to provide improved `\means operated by the clutch for cutting bit' the power from the starter.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved manually operable starting means associated with. the mechanical starter and clutch.

With these and other objects in view the invention comprises certain-novel constructions, combinations and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a view of the improved clutch mechanism in side elevation. Fig. 2 is a view of the clutch mechanism shown from the front indicating its association with a starter. Fig. 3 is a top plan view as indicated by arrow 3 at Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view through the clutch mechanism. Fig. 5 is a view in elevation of the clutch collar carried by they engine shaft.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

The improved clutch which forms the subject mat-ter of this application is adapted to intervene between the shaft 10 of an internal combustion engine and a starter 11 which may be of any usual and ordinary type provided as here shown with a pinion 12 intergearing with a gear 13. The gear 13 is rigidly connected with a driving collar `14r which said collar 14 is journaled in a bearing box. The exact construction of the bearing box is not essential to thepresent invention but is here shown as comprising the topmemberindicated at 15 with an under-member indicated at 16 to which the member 15 is removably attached to permit the collar to be inserted into and removed froni its bearing. Within the collar y14 a shaft 17 s'journaled carrying a sleeve 18 interpo-sed between such shaft and the collar 14 which latter sleeve serves to support the clutch sleeve 19; The shaft 17 is provided with a head 2O bearing against an annular shoulder 21 of the clutch sleeve 19 `and a spring 22 is provided serving to hold the head 20 lagainst such shoulder 21 and'to move the clutch sleeve yieldingly toward the collar 14. The collar 14 is provided with teeth having inclined portions 23 and other portions 24 in alinement with the axis ofthe collar while the clutch collar 19 has teeth comprising similarly inclined portions 25 and similar straight portions 26, the teeth of both members being proportioned to overlap and interengage normally as shown particularly at Figs. 1 andl and the action of the spring 22 being to hold such teeth in such interengagement. At its opposite end the clutch sleeve-19 is provided with teeth 27 proportioned and positioned to engage with similar teeth 28 formed upon a driven collar 29 mounted rigidly upon the end of the shaft 10. It will be apparent, therefore, that when the collar 14 is rotated by the gear 13 from the starter 11 that the clutch sleeve 19 will normally be rotated therewith and that if mea-ns is provided for moving such clutch sleeve longitudinally the teeth 27 of such sleeve will engage with the teeth 28 of the collar 29 to rotate the engine shaft 10; The'tension of the spring 22, how- 19 against such movement and to provide for such movement a collar 30 is passed about the clutch sleeve 19 in a circumferential' furrow formed therein as indicated at Fig. 4 and tension applied to such collar by a spring 31 and a tension nut32.

The collar 30 is held against rotation by means of a roller 38 journaled upon such collar and bearing upon a guide 34 preferably mounted integral with the lower member 16 of the bearing box. The tendency, therefore, when the clutch sleeve 19 is rotated is to be retarded in its movement by the brake, collar 80 and by reason of such resistance the straight portions 24 and 26 of the collar 14 and sleeve 19 respectively tend to ride up the inclines 23 and 25 and to force the clutch sleeve 19 longitudinally toward the collar 29 and into engagement therewith, the straight portions 24 and 26 engaging. to continue to rotate the sleeve 19 and the collar 29 with the gear 13 direct from the starter. It will, therefore, be seen that when the starter is started it will rotate the gear 13 and will move the sleeve 19 not only rotatably but longitudinally into engagement with the collar 29 to rotate the engine shaft 10. When an explosion takes place in the engine the engine shaft 10 starts at a much more rapid speed than that imparted thereto by the starter so that the tendency of the rotation of the shaft 10 is to force the sleeve 19 back against the action of the starter. Connected with the brake collar 30 is a lever 35 pivoted to any convenient stationary member as at 36 and serving to operate a cut-off mechanism indicated conventionally at 37 which cuts off power from the starter 11. It will be apparent, therefore, that when the engine shaft 10 starts from the explosion of the engine such motion serves to return the clutch sleeve 19 to normal position and simultaneously and automatically to cut olf the power to the starter whereby the rotation of the clutch sleeve 19 is interrupted and the engine continues to operate in the normal manner.

To provide for manual starting the shaft 17 is provided with a crank 38 by which the same may be rotated and the head 20 is provided with teeth 39 proportioned and positioned to engage teeth 40 carried by the collarv 29 so that by forcing the shaft 17 inwardly against the tension of the spring 22 and turning the crank 38 the engine shaft 10 may be. turned over manually in the usual and ordinary manner but the teeth 39 and 40 are inset or countersunk in the sleeve 19 and collar 29 respectively so that under normal mechanical starting conditions such teeth do not engage and the shaft 17 remains stationary and serves only as a bearing for the rotating parts consisting of the collar 14 and sleeves 18 and 19.

I claim:

1. In a clutch, a driven collar provided with clutch teeth, a driving collar provided with inclined teeth, a longitudinally movable clutch sleeve interposed between the driven collar and the driving collar, said clutch sleeve being provided with inclined members engaging the inclined teeth of the driving collar and with teeth adapted to engage the clutch teeth of the driven collar, and means yieldingly resisting rotary movement of the clutch sleeve.

2. In a clutch mechanism, a driven collarl provided with teeth inclined upon one side and straight upon the opposite side, a driving collar provided with teeth inclined upon one side and terminating in straight extensions, a longitudinally movable clutch sleeve interposed between the driven collar and the driving collar said clutch sleeve being provided upon one end with teeth complementary to the teeth ofthe driven collar and on the opposite end with members complimentary to the inclined teeth of the drive ing collar, means to hold the clutch collar normally and yieldingly out of engagement with the driven colla-r and means to yieldingly resist rotary movement of the sleeve when driven by the driving collar.

3. In a clutch, a driving collar provided with teeth inclined upon one side and terminating in straight extremities, a longitudinally movable clutch sleeve journaled concentric with the driving collar and provided with similar interengaging teeth, means to hold the driving collar and sleeve normally yieldingly in interengagement, means to resist rotary and to, permit longitudinal movement of the clutch sleeve, and means carried by the clutch sleeve for engaging a driven member.

4. In a clutch, a driven collar provided with outer and inner concentric rows of clutch teeth, a shaft journaledv concentric with the collar and provided with teeth proportioned to engage the inner concentric row of-'clutch teeth, manual means for moving the shaft into engagement with the collar and rotating the same, a driving collar embracing and rotating upon the shaft, a longitudinally movable clutch sleeve mounted and rotating upon the shaft and interposed between the driving collar and the driven collar, meanscarried by the driving collar for rotating the clutch sleeve and moving it longitudinally toward the driven collar, and means carried by the clutch sleeve for interengaging with the outer row of teeth upon the driven collar.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES M. STOCKER.

Witnesses:

W. H. Piton, F. H. PECK. 

